beating JWST at astrophotography with my $500 lens

In this video I take you along with the process of capturing a photo of Sh2-216, an elusively faint and large planetary nebula in Perseus. In fact it is the largest PN in our sky. I try to illustrate the optical differences between JWST and my camera lens, and how they can each lead to different but relevant outcomes in astronomy. Neither can fulfill the role of the other, and so I believe the amateur still holds a place in astronomy.
The full setup used in this video can be found in these links:
Camera lens: amzn.to/465qCW2
Camera and filters: bit.ly/48wVHnw
A good mount: bit.ly/3ETDQJI
Computer: bit.ly/3Fc1RvT
Lens rings: bit.ly/42nDSCK
Autofocuser: bit.ly/3qssCI0
My advanced processing guide also recently launched on my webpage here: astrofalls.com/products/advan...
Thank you all for watching!

[@epielanonimo]

NASA should have piggybacked a full frame camera with a 135 on JWST xD

[@jesus4400]

Earth does not move 8:51

[@hunter133official]

@@jesus4400Are you a flat earther💀

[@user-lt9py2pu6u]

Great Image Brey. I Used my SY 135 f2 set up extensively last winter, really happy with the results. But do I think they are as good as what I would get with a more expensive RASA? No. The JWST is a high precision scientific instrument that was never coniceved as a wide field photographic device. I look forward to the day when someone starts puting small wide field imaging rigs on satalites that you can hire time with in the same way as you can with some ground based telescopes today. No cloudy nights, no bad seeing, no light pollution. Ah well, I can but dream I suppose. A lot of astro photographers, myself included, do this for nothing more than personal gratification and enjoyment.

[@gonlaserna]

So cool! Awesome video Bray! I knew I got a little Gem when buying this lens a couple of weeks ago, and I can't say more than that I'm very happy with it, I love the way it renders stars, very sharp and with a manageable amount of distortions. 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼✨✨✨

[@gonlaserna]

Also amazing final image man!!! I should start getting into narrowband with a monochrome cam.

[@darkskyutah]

Very interesting to watch a master at work. Great video and image.

[@andrewwalker7276]

Lovely images! Do you know if this object has been imaged by any of the larger coverage H-alpha surveys? In the late 90s, doing my PhD, I helped out with the UKST (UK Schmidt Telescope, Siding Spring Observatory, Australia) Halpha survey which was taking wide field H-alpha films over the southern galactic plane. Out to about 10 degrees from the plane plus the Mag. Clouds and other bits and pieces. If we'd observed this it would have been amazing! The team did discover a heap of new smaller PN, I also found a few weird things, mainly related to supernove remnants.

[@astrofalls]

I think it might've been covered by IPHAS, and certainly MDW. And very cool with the UKST! I use this survey on occassion to look for traces of nebulas after I discover them. Some of the brighter Oiii PN show up in it

[@andrewwalker7276]

Thanks! Great to hear people are using the survey. The whole process of making the exposure and developing it early in the morning was magical. Old school, but great satisfaction! You'll find some PN papers by Quentin Parker who was one of the main people in the survey

[@fluxx3671]

heres my 500 dollar camera lens with a guide scope, auto focuser, star tracker + an asi air so pretty much a $3000 dollar setup...

[@astrofalls]

You could also just use a DSLR and a good nebula boosting filter to shoot this

[@donlindgren109]

The scope/lens is always just one component. If you don’t want to do it the manual hit & miss way, then you gotta pay up for the whole system, at least it’s not $7k for the scope alone and then up from there. Plus you can use some of the components with another rig.

[@shwiftypineapple2508]

Nice video keep up the good work 🔥🔥🔥

[@ronanhunt88]

Hahah rokinon 135mm >>>> JWST! S plus tier!

[@jeeenyus4385]

Good editing timing on the Ooof. Pretty rig you got there.

[@jesus4400]

It's photoshop, but it has to be.

[@PhuttisunThongsungwon]

love it man

[@joakimastro]

Beating? Bold claim.

[@astrofalls]

I've discovered quite a few nebula with this little camera lens that the big space observatories would never have a dream of discovering due to their focal lengths

[@joakimastro]

@@astrofalls Sure, but Id argue you cant beat anything to anything when its not that thing’s goal to do the thing you beat it at.

[@mikehardy8247]

I have this lens rigged up with the THINKABLE CREATIONS, Hyperpod, asiair mini, rebel T7i astromoded, and a second zwo EAF, because this lens is just so hard to focus. Have yet to use it. I'm playing with DSLR/ lens combos for upcoming solar eclipse. Next clear night want to try Sadr region, and the veil nebula. I'll add SH 2-216 to the list. Apparently it's very faint! In Stelarium, with DSO'S turned on it shows up in the catalog, but the region shows no nebulosity. Is it feasible to image this in bortle 8, not to mention the moon right now I only have a clip in astronomik cls on this setup. Planning to get a clip in OPTOLONG L ENHANSE.

[@astrofalls]

I personally wouldn't go for it from bortle 8 and a DSLR + CLS. You could do it from dark skies with this but you'd want a more narrow filter for bortle 8

[@mikehardy8247]

Can you elaborate. A L Extreme or ultimate. If a clip in, is even available.

[@mikehardy8247]

@@astrofalls Maybe I should just figure out how to put my ZWO 533mc pro on the lens.

[@mikehardy8247]

Well, I should be getting my ZWO-EOS adapter this week. Then I can use my ZWO ASI533MC Pro with the Rokinon 135 and OPTOLONG L ENHANSE. Rain and clouds next few days in Milwaukee. So no anular eclipse, or DSO imaging right now.

[@keeslp4690]

Love it!

[@BrokenPik]

That will be interesting!

[@GusC1337]

What telescope do you guys recommend for starters? Also i got a nikon p900 that i take amateur photos of the moon so im pretty sure i cant get it into a telescope unfortunately lol also any camera recommendations for astrophotography is really appreciated 🙏 thank you

[@michaellorentzen1672]

lol don’t think we didn’t notice that incredible evening silhouette shot around 11 min. Holy smokes.

[@keithhanssen7413]

That’s a beauty. I’m guessing you fell asleep while the dew formed 😃

[@woody5109]

JWST is $10,000,000,000

[@dmcmahon999]

Do you bin when taking images with this camera lens combo. Sampling calculator is out of guide. I just bought this same rig with color vs mono. Please advise.

[@mrkallela5539]

Amazing

[@VA3OSO]

What do you use as a dew heater?

[@TheAstroImager]

Wow bray 🎉🎉🎉

[@tanmaybam]

Nice to see Daniil Medvedev interested in astrophotography 😆

[@maktham2006]

I took a picture of the moon with my cheap phone, something JWST can't do. My phone 1 - JWST 0 😂

[@shinyy187]

How much total integration is your image?

[@JessicaMecca]

Lol the nebula is my cat’s face.😂

[@lizards821]

you could give me 2 jwst's and i stll wouldn't get as good as this bubbly mage

[@carvrodrigo]

It is a 10bi dollars telescope Bray 😁

[@fleischpflanzerlmitsenf]

I wonder how many people in this beginner video will understand why the JWST "would take way too much time" like u said twice. Mosaics are not an accessible technique to the beginner. But thanks to my comment they can now look up what you meant 😅

It's like saying beating jwst at cooking. That's not the purpose of jwst. It releasing picture for the public but the goal is science.

[@astrofalls]

Yeah I talked about this in depth in the video. My point is to illustrate that the professional observatories are not all powerful and that amateurs can observe space in ways they cannot

@@astrofalls it's more about the title as it look like a bait. Btw the content is good.

[@zelusvfx4933]

I find the title very misleading. Yes its a $500 lens but a $600+ camera, $200+ autoguider $2000 tracker, $200 asi air, etc....

[@astrofalls]

Welcome to astrophotography. If you really wanted to capture this nebula at less cost, it could be done easily with a cheap tracker and a DSLR.

[@zelusvfx4933]

Yeah ive been doing astro for a couple years now its just it could be a big misleading to beginners that want to try things out if you know what i mean.